We established essentially a collaborative parenting style. We collaborate not only together, but with the children. 

–Katie Keene

Wouldn’t you love a peaceful home and respectful children? It can feel nearly impossible for parents, that’s why I’m talking with Katie and Steve Keene about home economy and collaborative parenting.

Collaborative parenting involves collaborating with each other, and their kids. Mom and dad are still in charge, but the kids wants and interests and opinions are heard. They set up a family government with clearly defined rules, expectations, and consequences (these apply to parents too). This allows kids to know what to expect.

They established a home economy that took pressure off of everyone to do all the things that need doing in a home. It also helped the kids become more independent and self-confident. Plus their kids are learning financial responsibility.

We talk about: 

• What a home economy actually looks like 
• Family meetings and developing a team mentality
• Starting with a long-term vision about what you want for your family 
• Coming to agreement about what you want kids to learn before they leave your house
• Accepting and learning from failure
• How to use the home economy model with kids who are schooled outside the house

BIO

Steve and Katie are family success consultants, as well as the creators of the Family Success

Secrets podcast. Steve also offers executive coaching for business owners looking to optimize

their team efficiency and employee satisfaction and retention rates.

They have been married for 20 years, have 5 incredible children, have lived through numerous

moves and military deployments while raising their family – all while discovering the special

needs that two of the children were born with.

They have endured hardship and have built joyful resilience through the process.

They love to travel, meet new people, eat good food, and are completely hooked on helping

families transform their lives from chaos and tension into lives lived with purpose and passion.

LINKS

• Find Katie and Steve here: https://linktr.ee/familysuccess
• Course: https://familysuccesssecrets.com/course

Doable Changes from this episode:

• MAKE A DECISION TOGETHER. Steve and Katie talk about growing up with different kinds of lights on their Christmas trees. They had to decide what they would do for their family: go with one option or the other, alternate years, combine? Find something where you and your partner have different ideas from upbringing or personal preference. Make a decision together for your family.
• VISION TOGETHER. If you are parenting with somebody else, you probably have different visions about what you want for your family and how to get there. Start with a long-term vision. What’s important to you? What are your preferences? What are your absolutes? How do you want to feel when kids come home to visit in 20 years? Get your long-term vision aligned before you try to make a plan or rules for now.
• LOWER EXPECTATIONS. Notice one thing you are expecting of yourself. It might be carefully posed pictures for the first day of school or having a pristine house or dinner looking perfect. How can you lower that expectation and give yourself a little grace? It might help to think about why it is important to you. Are you trying to meet others’ expectations or is there something valuable to you in the expectation? How can you keep the value but give more ease?